Your Guide: Klia Bassing, MBA, MPP
ringing a "mindfulness bell" Klia Bassing has been a Mindfulness Meditation instructor since 2004. She provides both private instruction via phone/VOIP and group instruction via workplace classes, seminars, and retreats through her business,
Visit Yourself at Work® (corporate clients at right). She is the author of the Twitter channel @visityourself, and a teacher with the Insight Meditation Community of Washington.
Klia's teaching style is humorous and compassionate. She also uses examples from her own life if she senses that will help others find more self-acceptance Prior to teaching Mindfulness Meditation, Klia worked in international development at The World Bank and in Latin America and the Caribbean. |
It often surprises people that I, a professional meditation instructor, have trouble getting myself to meditate. It's true, though, and it's why I sympathize with many who tell me they just can't seem to get themselves to sit down, be still, and feel their body breathing.
My meditation practice is especially prone to slipping when I most need it...like when my health or an important relationship is on the rocks. I can theorize about why it's harder for me to meditate when life is difficult - something in me is afraid of the emotions that arise when there aren't mental distractions. It's afraid the emotions will swallow me up or last forever. Knowing this about myself, though, doesn't get me to meditate. I've learned that if I can't get myself to do something important to me, I need to ask for help. In 1997, when I was trying to prepare for the entrance exam for business school, I got so frustrated at my inability to study that I paid a lot of money to Kaplan Test Prep to make me study. It worked! These days, I often ask a friend to keep me company over Skype as I tackle a work task I've been avoiding. I do the same thing with my meditation practice. If I've been especially "meditation-challenged" for a few days (or weeks!), I'll ask someone else to hold me accountable by periodically checking on me. Another meditation teacher I know phones a meditation buddy every morning. They just call each other, sit silently on the phone for 30 minutes, and say good-bye. It may sound ridiculous, but it gets them to meditate! My hope is that my live guided meditations will provide you with extra support for your practice. Just by connecting with me and other human beings meditating along with you.
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